The present invention in general relates to managing the storage and distribution of medications and other medical supplies at a healthcare facility and, in particular, to patient-specific bins.
At many healthcare facilities, it may be beneficial for items to be available for use at specific locations. For example, in hospitals, practitioners may find it convenient to place medications (including pharmaceuticals) and other supply items near where patients are being treated. A nursing station is one such location, as nurses may find it more efficient to have certain medications readily available. Depending on the type of items to be dispensed, the environment where the items are to be used, and the like, a variety of dispensing cabinets have been employed.
Typically, medications are placed in dispensing units which each store a specific item to be used for a number of different patients. However, this type of storage configuration often leads to storage of supplies at multiple locations, which may give rise to delivery inefficiencies. This item-specific storage and distribution model may also give rise to billing discrepancies and inventory control challenges. It would therefore be beneficial to create systems, methods, or devices which address one or more of the issues raised above, while still providing for distributed storage of medications.